Professor Dominic Rowe, the man at the center of some of the World’s best Parkinson’s research. Here’s what inspires him in his search for change:
What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s?
From early in my training in neurology, I have wanted to know what causes Parkinson’s Disease and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease. This lead to me pursuing research studies at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. I was fortunate to work in the laboratories of Professor Stan Appel on the process involved in PD. Since returning to Australia in 1998 the focus of my research work has been PD and MND. We need to understand the processes that makes these diseases worsen so that we can develop therapies to slow and ultimately stop them. If we understand why some people are susceptible to PD and MND, ideally we will be able to stop the diseases before they produce too much damage in the central nervous system.
Why Shake It Up Australia?
Clyde, Carolyn and the team from Shake It Up Australia (SIUAF) are the only Foundation in Australia in neuroscience research that aims to make itself redundant. Clyde’s focus and passion to make PD redundant is inspirational and in line with our work here at Macquarie Neurology.
SIUAF is the reason that we are the only site in Australia involved in the Parkinson’s Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI), a global project sponsored and coordinated by the Michael J. Fox Foundation that aims to define the biological processes that underpin PD so that we can develop therapies to stop the disease.
Tell us what your team is doing to Shake Things Up?
Our team at Macquarie Neurology, MQ Uni work every day on the PPMI project, the best project that I have seen that exists to eradicate PD from our world. (Read more about this project here)
Greatest Challenge?
Being involved in starting a new medical school and hospital at Macquarie University.
Greatest Reward?
My family.
Best advice?
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
Plato (427 BC – 347 BC).
